Blight
by Evelos
Summary: Death lies just beneath the surface. AU.
1. Chapter 1

A woman walked over the ice, breathing in time with her footfalls, which crackled over the brittle terrain.

_Fang._

She let out a sigh while forcing her limbs into motion, despite the numbing, bitter chill.

_My name is Fang, and I am about to die._

Fang knelt down, squeezing her eyes shut against the howling wind. "Vanille..."

_My friend is sick, too._

A pair of footsteps padded through the snow, but Fang could not see her companion. "Yeah?"

_We've been sick for a long time._

Fang fought back a shiver, and she tightened her hands into fists. "This isn't working."

Vanille's voice was barely audible over the wind. "What should we do, then?"

_As far as we knew, there was no cure._

Fang opened her eyes, slowly blinking against the sleet. "Find a way out."

_At least... Not for us._

Something pressed into her shoulder, and Fang looked over to see a furry head resting beside her arm. A pointed ear flicked against her jacket; the reddish fur was highly visible, even in the snow.

_Not for our species._

Fang nodded, and she gazed out over the sea of ice. "I think we're close... To something, at least." Her green eyes searched the landscape, but the whirlwind of snow blocked out most of her vision. Fang closed her eyes.

_Not for wolves._

The head beside her almost seemed to nod in response, and a quiet voice echoed out over the area, but the creature did not move its mouth. "I think you're right."

_That didn't stop us from trying._

Fang opened her eyes, intense yellow irises scanning the tundra. "Let's go."

* * *

A woman sat upon the floor, her shoulders hunched with a pained frown. She wove her fingers together, knitting her brow with a grimace as a wave of nausea threatened to overtake her; gasping, she held it back while clutching her stomach.

"Lightning..?"

Lightning kept still, but she opened her mouth with a quiet sigh. "I'm here."

A younger woman lay sprawled upon a blanket; her eyes were clouded over, and a weak cough rattled her form. "Where are we?"

Lightning glanced around, wincing as they jolted over a bump in the tracks. "Serah... You don't remember? We're going to Eden."

Serah tried to tilt her head back to see their surroundings, but Lighting took hold of her hand, gently running a thumb over her knuckles.

"Hey."

Lightning looked up, and she forced a snarl back into her throat. "Snow."

Serah smiled up at Snow, her breath shallow. "Hey, hero..."

Snow sat down beside them. "Look at this." He held out a bottle, shaking it to reveal the pills that rattled within. "I traded for it."

Lightning examined the bottle. "Are you sure they're the real thing?"

Snow let out a sigh. "It's got a prescription number." He turned to meet Lightning's gaze. "Even if it isn't... It's better than nothing." He looked back at Serah, twisting open the bottle after a moment. "Do we have any water left?"

Lightning reached into her satchel for a canteen, and she opened the cap, nodding at Snow.

Snow gently placed a hand beneath Serah's upper back to help her upright, and he held one of the capsules by her face, waiting for her to take it. Serah coughed, but she opened her mouth, and Lightning soon pressed the canteen up to her lips.

Snow eased Serah back down to the blanket, carefully squeezing her shoulder. "There's a few more..." He shook the bottle, and his gaze lingered on Serah's face. "Light, what about you?"

Lightning crossed her arms, shaking her head.

Snow smiled at Serah. "Just hold on, okay?" He pressed the back of his hand against Serah's forehead, wincing slightly at her temperature. "Your hero's gonna have you fixed up in no time..."

Lightning narrowed her eyes, but she kept silent.

* * *

A boy stood far above the city; his eyes were dull as he gazed down at the bustling street below. He shuffled along the edge, tears streaming down his face.

"I wouldn't, if I were you."

The boy turned to the side, glancing at a man who sat upon the roof, his legs dangling over the edge.

The man shrugged. "You're young; there's still time left."

The boy shook his head. "They're _gone_..." He bit back a sob. "I can't keep going."

The man raised an eyebrow. "You can't, or you won't?" He turned to watch the cars drive by below. "Eh... Just look who's talking." He took a deep breath, holding it for a moment. "I'm not one to judge."

The boy looked closer at the man. "What's your name?"

The man met his gaze. "Sazh."

The boy glanced back at the city, and he let out a long sigh. "Hope."

Sazh laughed. "We could all use some..."

The boy shook his head. "It's my name."

Sazh nodded after a moment. "Well, how about this... Whoever jumps first, loses?" He glanced down at the street. "Or... We could just wait." Sazh let out a bitter laugh. "See who keels over first."

Hope sat down as well, closing his eyes. "They're talking about distributing a cure... But I don't have any money."

Sazh shook his head. "It's not for _us_, kiddo."

Hope's eyes widened, and he turned, gazing at the dark brown wolf that lay upon the roof.

The wolf rested his head upon his paws. "I doubt they're planning on making one for wolves anytime soon."

Hope kept silent for a moment. "I know." He closed his eyes. "Maybe it'll work for us, too?"

Sazh let out a quiet laugh, his tail flicking back and forth. "You're starting to sound more and more like your name..."

A silver creature walked over to sit beside Sazh. "I just... I'm scared to die."

Sazh let out a sigh, slowly sitting up from the roof. "I am, too." His gaze was suddenly distant, his shoulders slumped. "My..." Sazh took a deep breath. "My son wouldn't want me to mope."

Hope lowered his head, closing his eyes once more. "I miss them."

Sazh kept silent, and he closed his eyes as well.

* * *

Fang loped through the snow, her black fur streaming in the wind. She tipped back her nose to test the air, but she could smell little within the blizzard.

Vanille trailed after her, gracefully hopping over the snowdrifts. "Do you see anything?"

"Nope..." Fang squinted through the flurries. "Wait, look over there; do you see that?"

Vanille's ears perked up, and she followed after Fang. "Yeah!"

Fang altered her course, racing over the tundra to slide beside a set of train tracks, which spanned far beyond the horizon. "I wonder if they're still in use..." She sat down beside the planks to catch her breath.

Vanille sat down as well, shivering slightly. "Do you think we'll see a train?"

Fang let out a long cough, and she lowered herself to lay down within the snow. "Maybe... But you know what this means, right?"

Vanille tilted her head to the side.

Fang laughed under her breath. "We can follow these..." She looked over at the horizon. "They've gotta lead somewhere." Fang coughed again, and she curled up in the snow. "We should rest, first."

Vanille nodded as she lay down as well. "I hope we see one."

Fang flicked her tail, her eyes drooping shut. "If I'm not up in a couple of hours..."

Vanille closed her eyes. "I'll wake you."

Fang tensed, and she bit back a sigh, soon drifting off into sleep.

* * *

Lightning glanced around out of the corner of her eye, taking note of their fellow occupants. "Snow."

Snow looked over at Lightning; one of his hands was intertwined with Serah's. "Yeah?"

Lightning narrowed her eyes, and she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Something's wrong..."

Snow kept silent for a moment, searching Lightning's expression. "What is it?"

Lightning's gaze flickered to rest on the floor. "I don't know." The hairs on the back of her neck prickled, and she shivered. "Just be ready."

Snow nodded, still holding Serah's hand. "You don't think..?" He paused as the words caught in his throat.

Lightning closed her eyes, silent for a moment. "Serah."

Serah opened her eyes, gazing up at her sister. "Yeah?"

Lightning grit her teeth. "Do you think you can still run?"

Serah kept still for a moment, before she nodded.

Lightning nodded as well. "Good."

Snow leaned back after a moment, gazing at the huddled people that shared the train car with them. He looked them over from of the corner of his eye, before lowering his voice to a whisper. "They don't see it, right?"

Lightning kept still. "I doubt it."

Snow relaxed slightly, but he continued to survey their surroundings. "We should be arriving at the first stop, soon..."

Serah roused a bit, and she opened her eyes. "Really?"

Snow smiled, nodding. "We'll be halfway inside the city before you know it."

Lightning tensed, her voice a sharp whisper. "Snow, _look_."

Snow turned, and his eyes widened.

A man rose to his feet; his head was hunched over with a groan as he stumbled over to the side of the train car, slumping against the wall with a strangled cry.

Snow shook his head, and he stood up from the floor. "Don't!"

The man paused for a moment, tears streaming down his face. "We're as good as dead..." He clutched at the metal walls, while his entire body was wracked with shivers. "It's _everywhere_..." He sobbed, pounding on the metal. "The next town's no different!"

Snow took a step forward, glaring at the man. "Eden has a cure!"

The man fell silent for a moment, his shoulders quaking. "It's too late."

Snow let out a sigh, tightening his hands into fists. "You're scaring everyone."

The man snarled, and he began to slam himself against the wall. "I've had enough!" He whirled around when Snow grabbed him by the shoulder, and the man threw forth a trembling fist, only to freeze in place once the blow connected. "What..?"

Snow backed away with a wince, and his eyes went wide.

The man shivered. "What _are_ you?!"

Lightning stood up as well, and she took a step forward. "You're just tired; hallucinations are common with-"

The man roared at her, shaking his head. "I _know_ what I saw!" He pointed at Snow. "That 'man'... He isn't human!"

The other passengers shuffled away, but they did nothing other than exchange worried murmurs amongst themselves.

Snow looked back at Lightning and Serah, and his blood froze when he heard the telltale click of a firearm.

The man let out a broken laugh as he raised the gun to his own head. "Wolves..." His eyes went wide. "The world's gone mad; there are wolves... Walking as men!"

Snow leapt for the gun, but his hands only closed around a spray of blood, and the man dropped to his knees, collapsing upon the floor.

Lightning shivered at the sound, but she closed her eyes, slowly sitting down once more. She ran a hand over her sister's forehead, silently thanking every deity she could think of that Serah had already fallen asleep.

* * *

Fang lay on her side; her was head pounding away beneath her skull. A series of coughs rattled her form, but she only shivered, forcing her eyes open.

Vanille hopped along the tracks, balancing atop the wooden planks. "Fang, are you alright?" She jumped from the rails to slide down the hill, soon standing beside Fang. "You can go back to sleep if you want..."

Fang rose to her paws, and she took a step forward. "We need to move."

Vanille said nothing, but she lowered her ears when Fang tried to climb the hill, only to stumble halfway up the slope.

Fang exhaled, and her breath grew short. "If we stop moving, we're gonna freeze..." She trudged through the snow, finally standing atop the tracks. "They've gotta lead _somewhere_."

Vanille followed after her. "You don't look so good..."

Fang let out a breathy laugh; her wolf form barked in time with her voice. "I haven't looked good in _months_." She started down the tracks, soon lowering to a run. "C'mon, Vanille!"

Vanille sighed, but she ran off as well, following after Fang.

* * *

Lightning closed her eyes, shivering slightly in the draft. She had leaned back against the wall of the boxcar, but it did little to keep her warm. "Snow."

Snow looked over at Lightning.

Lightning exhaled, shaking her head. "I don't like the looks that we're getting..."

Snow frowned, and he nodded a little. They had both moved with Serah to the empty end of the train car, but they were still only sitting a short distance away from their fellow passengers.

Lightning narrowed her eyes after a moment, and she rose to her feet. "What?!" Her jaw snapped as she took a step forward, glaring at the crowd that had moved to form a wall between them and the other passengers. "We have no interest in you!"

An old man looked up at Lightning, squinting at her face. "The word of a wolf?" He shrugged, but kept still. "I have no reason to trust you, but I have just as little to doubt." He closed his eyes. "Do what you will; we just want to give the young ones a chance."

Lightning paused, and her expression softened. "My sister is sick." She swallowed, before lowering her voice. "We're _all_ sick... I'm not about to start any trouble."

The man opened his eyes, and he soon smiled at the yellow irises that awaited him. "No ordinary animal, are you?" He chuckled at the white wolf that stood before him. "You can take the form of a woman... Why?"

Lightning sat down, and her tail curled around to cover her front paws. "How else could we get on the train?"

The man nodded. "You seem to have the wit of a human, too."

Lightning blinked, her ears twitching slightly. "No ordinary animal."

The man smiled, laughing under his breath. "So it would seem..." He looked over at Snow. "What about you, boy? Or should I say... Wolf?"

Snow nodded, and a moment later, a large beige wolf sat in his place.

The old man closed his eyes with a smile on his face. "Now... That's not something you see everyday."

Lightning bit back a laugh, and she closed her eyes as well.

* * *

"Fang, wait up!" Vanille raced over the tracks, and her eyes widened when the ground beneath them disappeared, leaving only a long, nauseating drop to the ocean.

Fang laughed, barking at the wind. "We've gotta be getting somewhere, now!" She jumped over each plank of wood, and her paws barely touched the tracks. "I'd bet this leads to a city, Vanille!"

Vanille tried to laugh as well, but she shivered after a moment, skidding to a halt. "Fang!" Her ears pricked, and her blood ran cold.

Fang stopped off in the distance, freezing at the sharp wail of a train whistle.


	2. Chapter 2

The train let out a long, shrill cry, and the old man winced. "Well... I'd assume you already know the story of Mwynn."

Lightning opened her eyes. "What does that have to do with anything?"

The man kept his eyes shut, slowly crossing his legs. "It has to do with everything, in the end." He smiled, reaching for his jacket pocket. "If the reader believes in it, of course."

Snow took a step forward, and his nails clicked against the wooden floor. "Mwynn... She was the first wolf, wasn't she?" He watched as the old man revealed an elegant, yet well-worn book.

"She was the first of _anything_..." The man smiled, and he opened his eyes to trace a finger over the cover of the tome. "If the stories are true."

Lightning kept still, but she narrowed her eyes. "I still don't see what this has to do with-"

The old man cleared his throat. "I _too_ find it difficult to see the point of something before it has been explained."

Lightning raised her shoulders, and her lip curled back to reveal her teeth. "Who are _you_ to demand our time?" She paused with a snap of her jaws, before she slowed after a moment. "We don't have..." Lightning exhaled, and she grit her teeth. "We don't have time for fairy tales."

The old man raised an eyebrow. "If you insist..." He smiled. "And who am I to 'demand your time'?" With a deep laugh, he shook his head. "Well, back when I had use for a name... It was Amodar."

Lightning turned around with a quiet scoff, and she walked over to sit beside Serah.

Snow watched Lightning for a moment, before he slowly walked up to sit in front of Amodar. "You can tell me, if you want."

Amodar chuckled under his breath. "Don't let an old curate waste your time, son."

Snow shook his head. "What if I _want_ to know?"

Amodar studied the pair of yellow eyes before him, and his gaze lingered upon the beige fur beside them, which slowly began to blur, reforming into human skin.

Snow smiled. "Please?"

After a moment, Amodar smiled as well. "Alright... Well, we assume that Mwynn was born in the unseen realm; she was the first and only being that we know of to have originated there." He held out the book to point at the image of a vast pair of eyes, which were surrounded by deep, brown fur. "She laid down the framework for our world to take shape... But she couldn't walk upon it, herself."

Snow studied a painting upon the page, and his gaze lingered on a the image of planet that spun among a sea of stars, to which a great wolf was facing. "Why not?"

Amodar shrugged. "I'd guess that she was too powerful to make a physical leap... It would explain why she left her children to take care of it."

Snow's eyes widened. "Like Etro, right?"

Amodar nodded. "Etro and Bhunivelze... Lindzei and Pulse." He turned the page to reveal the image of four wolves, which circled a larger, sleeping wolf. "Mwynn tasked them with the fundamental concepts of our world." Amodar pointed at one of the smaller wolves, which had a reddish tone to its fur. "Pulse, the keeper of emotion." He moved his finger to trace the wolf opposite of Pulse, which had gray fur. "Lindzei, keeper of logic." Amodar pointed at a black wolf. "Bhunivelze, the keeper of life..." He paused, taking a deep breath, before his finger traced over a white wolf. "Finally, Etro... Keeper of death."

Snow frowned slightly. "She's smaller than the others."

Amodar nodded. "But she's just as powerful, if not more." He turned the page to an image of Mwynn, who was leaping through a ring of darkness. "Mwynn left her children to care for our world, returning to the unseen realm to rest."

Snow kept silent for a moment, his brow furrowed. "The stories talk about them leaving, too."

Amodar frowned. "According to advanced records, they didn't 'leave'... At least, not in the same way." He flipped the page to reveal two full-paged pictures of the four siblings, each of them locked in frenzied combat, and Amodar sighed. "They fell into disarray, squabbling over the very world that they were supposed to care for..." He closed the book, shaking his head. "Balance was maintained, nonetheless."

Lightning snorted from where she had lain down upon the floor. "So what was the point of that?"

Amodar smirked at her. "Ah... Just an old soldier who wanted to share his knowledge."

Lightning stilled, before she sat up. "_You_ were a solider?"

Amodar nodded. "Many years ago." He gazed down at the book in his hands, narrowing his eyes. "Not exactly by choice, mind you." Amodar looked up to meet Lightning's gaze. "It was something I had to do."

Lightning kept silent.

Amodar glanced around at the dwindling number of passengers that sat beside him; most of the human barricade had gone back to sit with their families.

Snow yawned, and he stood up. "It was nice talking with you, but it's getting a little late."

Amodar nodded while he rose to his feet, extending a hand towards Snow. "It was _very_ interesting to meet you." He smiled when Snow shook his hand. "Your human form is physical, then."

Snow smiled as well. "Just as long as you don't punch me..." He laughed, but his tone was a bit strained. "It's a little hard to keep it active if I can't concentrate."

Amodar chuckled. "Good to know." He walked off after a moment to sit down beside a wall of the train car, before he closed his eyes with a yawn.

Snow turned back to join Serah and Lightning, but he paused upon receiving an icy look from the latter.

Lightning lowered her voice to a whisper, and her breath hissed through her teeth. "We can't trust _anyone_."

Snow frowned while he sat down a short distance away. "Sorry... It just seemed like a good idea to make friends, you know?"

Lightning's ears flattened upon her head, and she narrowed her eyes. "Just focus on what we need to do."

Snow nodded. "I will." He smiled after a moment. "Don't worry, we just have a few more stops 'till Eden."

Serah opened her eyes. "Really?"

Lightning startled slightly at Serah's enthusiastic tone, and she looked down at her sister. "Hey... How are you feeling?" She moved to sit beside Serah, and Snow had to bite back a laugh when Lightning's tail threatened to wag of its own volition.

Serah smiled at Lightning's wolf form, before she reached up to hug her sister's neck. "Better..." She pressed her face into Lightning's fur. "Are you okay?"

Lightning nodded as she hooked her head over Serah's shoulder. "Fine." She pulled back after a moment to examine Serah's face. "You still look pale..."

Serah shrugged. "I feel good, though." She looked around at the train car. "How long have I been asleep?"

Snow took a deep breath. "You've been a little out of it, babe." He held out his hand, to which Serah intertwined her fingers with his. "It's been at least a few days of constant napping."

Serah's eyes widened for a moment, before she relaxed, leaning back against the wall. "Well... You said that we're almost there, right?"

Snow nodded. "We'll transfer trains in Palumpolum, and after that, it's almost a straight shot to Eden."

Lightning shifted back into her human form, raising an eyebrow. "Almost?"

Snow nodded again. "There's a town or two in between, but we'll be getting back on the same train for the rest of the trip."

Lightning sat down beside Serah, and she closed her eyes. "We'd be better off staying on board... Unless we need to restock."

"Speaking of which..." Serah stifled a grimace when her stomach let out an audible growl. "Do we have enough food to get us there?"

Lightning reached for a leather satchel that was attached to her belt, and she opened the front section, before handing off a piece of dried meat to Serah. "We should be fine, _if_ we keep rationing it." She handed one over to Snow as well, closing the satchel with a frown. "I'd only eat what you need, though... There's no telling the price of food in the next town."

Serah's face began to blur, and after a moment, a white wolf took her place, scarfing up the dried meat. "Well, we might be able to 'find' something by ourselves, if we have enough time."

Snow remained in his human form, slowly chewing at the piece of jerky. "Depends on the train schedule, I guess."

After she had finished eating, Serah glanced over at Snow. "Hey, what happened to your bandana?"

Snow ran his fingers over the top of his head, and a sad smile twitched over his lips. "Traded it."

Serah moved back into her human form, and she frowned at Snow. "Maybe we can get another, somewhere..."

Snow shook his head, before he took Serah's hands in his own. "Don't worry about it." He smiled, closing his eyes. "It's worth a lot less than these, honestly." Snow reached along his pocket to shake at the bottle of pills.

Serah relaxed after a moment, but a tiny frown lingered upon her lips. "I know." She squeezed Snow's hands. "Thank you."

Snow grinned as he scooted over to sit beside Serah, leaning back against the wall. "No problem..." He laughed under his breath, before he lowered his voice to a whisper. "I'm gonna keep you safe, no matter what."

When Serah wasn't looking, Lightning rolled her eyes, before she winced at the sharp whistle of the train.

* * *

Fang stood stark still, her eyes wide. "No..." She jolted back to attention, whirling around to snap her teeth in Vanille's direction. "Go!"

Vanille stammered at the approaching lights, and her body shook in place.

Fang snarled as she reached over to grab Vanille by the neck, dragging her along the tracks. "Vanille, _c'mon!_"

Vanille leapt out of her stupor when Fang's teeth pinched at her skin, and she turned to bolt down the planks of wood with Fang by her side.

The railway began to tremble, shaking beneath the weight of the careening train; another whistle sounded off in the distance, and Vanille looked over her shoulder, only to see a nearly blinding light pierce through the blizzard as a deafening roar rattled the wooden platform.

"Fang, we aren't going to-" Vanille yelped when Fang pushed her aside into the whirling snow, grabbing her by the neck mere moments before she plummeted down to the ocean below.

Fang planted her feet in the snow, hauling Vanille back up to the cliff side just as the train screamed past; they were nearly blown away by the air currents that buffeted the area around them, ruffling their fur in a constant stream of snow and wind.

Vanille shivered while she lowered her ears, before she raised her voice to call out over the roaring train. "That was..."

Fang let out a hacking cough, shaking her head. "_Too_ close." She looked up at the train, which was still racing along the tracks that lay beside them. "Although..." Fang's eyes widened. "I have an idea." She turned to look at Vanille, slowly wagging her tail.

Vanille nearly fainted at said idea, but a mere moment later, she was clinging to the side rails of a train car in her human form. "Are you _sure_ this is okay?!"

Fang laughed as she clambered up to the roof; her hair was streaming in the wind. "Do you _really_ think they'll try and stop us?" She turned around to face Vanille, before offering an arm to pull her up as well.

Upon reaching the roof, Vanille shifted back into her wolf form, and she opened her mouth to catch a bit of the whirling snow.

Fang took on her bestial form as well, padding carefully across the top of the train. "I wonder where it's going..."

Vanille flopped over on her back, and she began to roll around in the snow. "Somewhere warm, I hope!"

Fang laughed under her breath, wagging her tail a bit. "I'm starting to think that the whole world's frozen over..."

Vanille looked up from the ground; her fur was nearly covered in white. "I'd bet Gran Pulse is still warm!" She stood up to shake out the snow from her coat, wagging her tail as well. "Maybe we can go back once-" Vanille paused as the train ran over a bump, and her stomach whirled in place. "Do you think it'll okay if we go inside..?"

Fang shook her head. "They won't take us without a ticket, I'd bet."

Vanille whined, and she lowered her ears. "I don't want to fall off..."

Fang sighed, sitting down beside the edge of the boxcar. "Just stay balanced; we'll be okay up here."

Vanille rolled her eyes, and she walked over to the narrow edge of the roof. "Yeah, _sure_... It's probably really warm in there, c'mon!"

Fang tried to catch Vanille before she leapt down to the platform between their car and the next, but her teeth only snapped on air. "Dammit, Vanille! Get back up here before they see you!"

Vanille only giggled, shifting back into her human form to knock upon the door. "Hello! Is anyone in there?" She stood up on her tiptoes to peek through the foggy pane of glass. "There's _tons_ of people!"

Fang snarled under her breath. "All the more reason for _us_ to stay out!"

Vanille's face broke into a wide smile, and she stepped back from the door as it swung open. "Hello!" She gazed up at the man who had opened the door, before her eyes widened. "Hey, you're..."

The man finished for her; his eyes went wide as well. "A wolf..."

Fang leaned over the edge, narrowing her eyes at the stranger. "Vanille, come _back_ here."

Vanille shook her head as she smiled up at Fang. "Look, he's like us!"

The man closed the door behind him, walking out upon the platform to stand beside Vanille. "It's not everyday you see others..." He shivered in the wind, before he pulled his jacket tighter over his body.

"I'm Vanille, and this is Fang!" Vanille pointed at the roof, bouncing on her toes.

The man smiled a bit. "The name's Snow."

Vanille smiled as well. "It's nice to meet you! Do you know where this train is going?"

Snow took a deep breath, before he leaned against the railing to point out at the horizon. "Eden, eventually... We have a stop to make in Palumpolum, another train to board." He let out a sigh. "We're going to get cured."

Vanille's smile faltered, and her eyes went wide. "But there isn't..." She looked back up at Fang. "It's not curable, is it..?"

Fang tilted her head to the side as she began to examine Snow's every move.

Snow rested his elbows along the railing as he gazed out at the blizzard. "There's a cure, alright..." The corners of his mouth tugged up into a grin. "And we're going to get it."

Vanille gasped, before she held both of her hands up beside her mouth. "You're serious?"

Snow nodded. "They were talking all about it, back in Bodhum." He narrowed his eyes at the horizon. "I saw a man who'd come back from getting one... He looked healthier than anyone I'd ever seen."

Fang kept silent for a moment, before she shifted back into her human form. "And you say that this cure's in Eden..." She dangled her legs over the edge of the train car. "Is that right?"

Snow nodded again. "My girlfriend..." He paused, swallowing away the sudden crack in his voice. "She _really_ needs it."

Vanille frowned, and she looked back up at Fang. "Can you..?"

Fang kept still for a long moment, before she sighed, pulling out a small, leather-bound case from her back pocket. "One."

Snow turned around to face Fang, and he raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Fang lowered her arm down through the flurry; a single tablet of medicine was held between her fingers. "Dissolve that in water, then have her drink it." Several snowflakes had gathered upon her eyelashes, and Fang blinked them away. "It'll hold back the nausea for a while."

Snow slowly took the tablet from Fang. "Thank you!" He grinned up at her. "We have some spare food inside; if you're hungry..."

With a smirk, Fang slowly tilted her head to the side, before she swung down over the roof, landing on her feet beside them. "You drive a hard bargain." She chuckled under her breath. "Not much out there, at least not in _this_ weather..."

Snow pulled open the door for them, before he made his way back into the train. "Lightning, guess what!"

Lightning didn't react at first. "Don't _yell_." Her gaze was locked on Serah, who was sleeping with her head leaning against Lightning's shoulder.

Snow paused before them. "Sorry..." He knelt down, before holding up the tablet. "Put this in the water."

Lightning slowly raised an eyebrow at both the tablet, as well as the two new faces that had entered the train car. "Why?"

Vanille walked over to copy Snow's stance, kneeling down in front of Lightning. "It's powdered herbs." She smiled. "It'll help with the nausea."

Lightning narrowed her eyes at the tablet. "Just like that?"

Vanille shrugged. "Fang and I use them a lot." She turned to look up at Fang, who was grimacing at the blooded wall on the opposite end of the train car.

"Yikes..." Fang shook her head, and her nostrils flared. "Nasty business, eh?" She glanced at the dried blood upon Snow's hands.

Snow nodded, frowning. "People are going _nuts_..." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I'm starting to think that public transit isn't the right way to go."

Fang leaned back to rest upon the wall adjacent to them, and she slowly stretched out her legs. "It's not much better out there."

Vanille nodded. "We've been running for _days_." She shivered, hugging herself. "I was starting to think we'd never get out of there..."

Fang glanced at the tablet in Snow's hand. "If you're not gonna use that, I'd like it back."

Snow nodded, holding out the tablet. "Please, sis?"

Lightning bit back a hiss. "I'm _not _your sister." She took the tablet after a moment, reluctantly dropping it into her canteen. "This had better not be anything harmful..."

Fang shrugged. "I'd have taken it back if you didn't want it." She exhaled, relaxing against the wall. "It might make you throw up, but it feels a _lot_ better afterwards."

Lightning stirred the water around in the canteen. "Alright." She looked over at Fang, squinting to examine the form hidden beneath her human body. "Wolves."

Fang glanced at Lightning from the corner of her eye. "No, _really?_" She smirked, closing her eyes. "I never would've guessed..."

Lightning narrowed her eyes. "Find your own place to rest."

Fang slid open a single eye. "Touchy, hmm?" She smiled to herself. "I'm too tired, hun... Calm down."

Lightning kept still for a split second, before her wolf form materialized, her teeth born in a snarl. "Calm _down?_" She took a step forward with her tail held up straight behind her. "If you didn't notice, we're in the middle of a damn plague!"

Fang stood up in her wolf form as well, lowering her shoulders to match Lightning's stance. "_Very_ touchy..." She rose up after a moment, standing slightly taller than Lightning. "No mingling, alright." Fang glanced over at the other occupants of the train; the humans were watching their every move with audible unease. "Vanille, let's go."

Vanille frowned at the door, before she shook her head. "Fang... Play nice, okay?"

Fang looked over at the trio, her gaze lingering on Lightning. "We clearly aren't welcome here."

Lightning looked away, and she grit her teeth. "It's... Fine, just don't push your luck."

Fang stood in silence for a moment, before she shifted back into her human form, raising an eyebrow at Lightning. "You looked ready to bite my head off, just a second ago."

Lightning copied the gesture, and she soon took the fallen canteen back into her hand. "I don't have time to go out of my way for politeness."

Fang snickered to herself while she returned to a sitting position, gesturing for Vanille to follow suit. "Alright then." She looked over at Serah, who had already leaned over to rest on Snow's shoulder. "Sisters, huh?"

Lightning's gaze softened. "Yeah." She opened the canteen to take a tiny sip of water. "It helps with the nausea, you said?"

Fang nodded. "Just don't blame me if you end up spewing your guts..." She chuckled a bit as her eyes began to droop shut. "But trust me, it helps."

Lightning relaxed after a moment, swirling the canteen in her hand.


	3. Chapter 3

Wincing at the churning sensation that twinged within her stomach, Lightning leaned back against the wall with a sigh. "So... Who are you two, anyway?"

Fang opened her eyes. "The name's Fang, and this is Vanille." She nodded Vanille, who had sat down beside her. "And you?"

Lightning clutched at her midsection, stifling a hiss. "Lightning."

Fang glanced at Snow. "We already know you..." She looked over at Serah. "Who's this?"

Serah opened her eyes. "Hi... I'm Serah." She smiled at Fang for a moment, but her eyelids began to droop. "Sorry, it's hard to stay awake."

Fang nodded. "Don't worry about it." She glanced over to Snow. "So... You were talking about food, weren't you?"

Lightning narrowed her eyes at Snow, who attempted to hold back a wince, wringing his hands.

With a hint of amusement in her eyes, Fang watched the exchange, but after a moment of silence, she shook her head. "Too good to be true, huh?"

Lightning grit her teeth, before she slowly reached into her satchel. "Don't make a habit out of it..." She handed over two pieces of dried meat, but Lightning refused to meet Fang's gaze. "Unless you're willing to help us get more."

Fang's upper lip twitched into a smirk. "It's not just my name, you know..." Her human form flickered for a moment, and Lightning raised an eyebrow at Fang's impressive set of bared canines.

Snow grinned. "Palumpolum is right on the plains; we could probably find a deer or something, running around..."

Lightning couldn't help the small smile that crept over her lips.

* * *

Sazh slowly made his way along the edge of the roof, taking care not to slip upon the icy shingles. "A cure, huh?" His nose twitched, and his ears pricked up. "I haven't heard too much about it, honestly."

Hope glanced down at the street while he followed after Sazh. "All I've heard is that someone in Eden managed to make one..." He paused for a moment. "Eden's pretty far away, isn't it?"

Sazh nodded. "It's across the sea, kiddo." He stopped beside the edge of the roof, before he sat down upon the shingles with a sigh. "Only way is by train, or boat."

Hope sat down as well. "By train... Really?" He glanced out over the cityscape, and his gaze settled upon a distant terminal.

Sazh nodded again. "There's a strait along the coast, down by Euride... They built a railway across the ocean."

Hope kept silent for a long moment, before he narrowed his eyes upon spotting an approaching plume of smoke. "Then... We'll go there and get it."

Sazh laughed under his breath. "You really think we could sneak on a train?" He followed Hope's gaze, and after a moment, Sazh stood up, the wind ruffling his fur. "Never say never, I suppose..." Sazh's whiskers twitched, and he suddenly leapt down to the street below, landing in his human form. "We'd better get a move on, then!"

Hope slowly backed up along the rooftop, only to run forward with a flying leap, soon landing on two feet as well. "If we can't sneak in right away, I know a way into the loading bays." He began to walk forward, and his shoes crunched against the icy cobblestone. "We... My friends and I used to sneak around there for fun."

Sazh followed after Hope. "Not exactly my idea of 'fun', but alright." He leaned back to look at the sky. "Think it's gonna snow again?"

Hope shrugged, stifling a cough. "Euride's warm, right?"

Sazh nodded with a grin. "It's a coastal town... Much warmer out west."

Hope tried to smile as well. "One of my friends went there, once." He glanced at a nearby street stall, before he sidled up to the counter as they walked past. "He said it smelled like nothing but smoke."

"It's mostly processing plants and factories, yeah." Sazh rolled his eyes when Hope handed him a wrapped sandwich. "Your parents never told you not to steal?"

Hope kept silent for a moment, before he spoke in a near whisper. "I don't have parents."

Sazh's expression softened. "I'm sorry."

Hope kicked along a loose pebble as they made their way down the road. "Don't be... It happened years ago." He looked up at the street while unwrapping his sandwich. "I met my friends and got along fine."

Sazh frowned a bit. "Alright." He glanced down at his hands, before he began to peel back the wrapper from his sandwich. "Do what you gotta do, right?"

Hope nodded. "They said that I was lucky to not get so sick..." Frowning, Hope chewed at a bite of his sandwich, before he continued. "But I don't _feel_ lucky."

Sazh gazed along the roadside while they turned a corner. "I don't think luck has much to do with it; some people just get sicker than others."

Hope shook his head. "I just don't get it... It came out of nowhere, you know?" He narrowed his eyes at the street. "There's got to be an origin for it, or something."

Sazh shrugged. "Even if there is, I don't think it really matters at this point." His shoulders sagged, while his footsteps began to slow. "We're living on borrowed time, kiddo."

Hope's stomach sank, and he closed his eyes. "Then we'd better hurry."

* * *

Lightning stood with a grimace, stumbling to her feet. "What kind of herbs did you say those were?"

Vanille tried to hold back a smile. "The kind that make you throw up."

Lightning snarled under her breath, and she staggered over to the window of the train car, before slamming her hands against the pane of glass. "I'm gonna-" She paused to gaze out at the faint outline of a city; the snow had slowed to a light flurry, and Lightning's eyes widened. "We're here..."

Snow grinned. "Serah, you hear that?" He gently nudged at her shoulder, smiling once Serah had opened her eyes. "We're here!"

Serah slowly sat up from the wall, and she tugged the blanket a bit tighter around her shoulders. "We won't have to stand for too long, right?" She glanced up at Lightning. "The next train will be there?"

"It should be," Snow said, "unless the schedule's off..."

Lightning clawed at the window, frowning at the lock upon the sill. "Then we'd better get there quick." She clutched at her stomach with a wince, before she glanced over at Vanille and Fang. "The two of you don't have tickets, right?"

Fang opened her eyes. "Nope." She suddenly rose to her feet. "Vanille, let's go."

Vanille frowned, and her gaze lingered on Serah and Snow. "We're leaving?"

Serah smiled at Vanille. "If you'd like to travel with us..."

Vanille grinned. "We'll meet up later, okay?" Shifting back into her wolf form, Vanille hopped up to her paws, glancing over her shoulder as she made her way towards the door. "Don't leave without us!"

Lightning growled under her breath. "No promises."

Fang rolled her eyes, and she pushed open the door, before she latched it shut, taking on her bestial form as well. "Vanille... Just worry about us, alright?"

Vanille's ears lay flat as she walked out to edge of the platform. "This could be _good_ for us!" She watched as Fang positioned her front paws upon the railing. "I haven't seen another wolf in-"

Fang leapt down into the whirling snow, and Vanille let out a sigh, before she jumped up to follow after Fang.

* * *

Hope crumpled an empty wrapper between his hands, before he tossed it into a nearby bin. "Still against nicking a few sandwiches?"

Sazh rolled his eyes. "Survival, I get it..." He leaned back to stare at the falling snow, and his gaze went distant for a moment. "Don't worry about it, kiddo."

Hope shrugged as he glanced down the street, slowing his pace once they came to an intersection. "I mean, how else are we going to eat?" He narrowed his eyes at a grate beside the sidewalk. "I'm not about to start hunting rats."

Sazh chuckled to himself. "Did you and your friends hunt together?"

Hope turned to face Sazh, walking backwards for a moment. "Look at me." He shook his head. "I know what I am... I'm not a hunter."

Sazh smiled a bit. "It sounds to me like you've fixed yourself into a corner..." He glanced up at the street, before he eased his way over to the crosswalk. "The only way to succeed at something is to try."

Hope rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright..." He winced when a car whizzed past, ducking forward to avoid it. "_Damn!_"

Sazh hopped up to the sidewalk with a nod. "Stay on your toes."

Hope nodded, frowning back at the street as they walked down the sidewalk. "I don't think they even _care_ anymore!" He tugged at the sleeves of his jacket. "At this rate, I doubt things are going to last much longer."

Sazh closed his eyes for a moment. "_We're_ not going to last much longer if you keep on like that..." He shook his head at Hope. "We need to keep positive."

Hope walked in silence for a while, before he nodded. "Alright... What will you do once we're cured?"

Sazh smiled. "Chase after my tail for a while." He chuckled under his breath. "Nah... I'll find a pack to tag along with, probably."

Hope's eyes widened slightly. "A real pack..."

Sazh raised an eyebrow as they turned a corner, stepping down into a stairway that ran along the sidewalk. "What, your friends weren't a pack?"

Hope slowly bit at his bottom lip. "They weren't wolves."

Sazh stopped in his tracks. "Humans?"

Hope lingered beside the stairwell, gazing down at the bustling station. "I mean, they knew about me." His gaze lingered upon an approaching train. "I'd keep watch when they needed me to... Nobody would suspect that a little gray dog was really a wolf."

After a moment, Sazh walked forward to stand beside Hope. "What are friends for, huh?" He followed Hope's gaze, and he watched as a woman flung herself down from the door of the train, stumbling over to kneel beside a patch of snow.

"Oh..." Hope winced when the woman vomited into a snowbank, but her pink hair was soon held back by a younger woman, who looked strikingly similar to the first.

Sazh shook his head. "Poor thing." He narrowed his eyes after a moment, before they widened. "Wait-"

Hope's breath caught. "Look there, at the others..." His squinted gaze lingered upon the tall, hazy figure of a man, which was intertwined with the massive, quadrupedal form of a wolf.

* * *

With a lunge, Fang raced through the snow-covered field, and her nose twitched in time with the blustering wind that swept over her fur. "Vanille, you keeping up?"

Vanille called out from behind Fang as she leapt over the snowbanks. "Yeah!" She took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. "Where do you think this is?"

Fang blinked at the city that lay off in the distance, and she stared up at a towering spire that lay on the outskirts of town. "I'm not sure, but we can find out once we get there."

Vanille quickened her pace to run beside Fang. "We'd better find Snow and the others... He seemed to know where we can get the cure."

Fang narrowed her eyes. "It's not our place to barge into a pack, Vanille." She held back a cough, steeling herself as they ran up to the edge of the city. "Don't get attached."

Vanille whined a little, but it was barely audible over the sound of her rapid footfalls, although they soon slowed to stand before a dilapidated building. "I just... I miss everyone, that's all."

Fang paused to catch her breath, coughing as she lowered to a crouch. "I know, but you've still got me." She nudged at Vanille's shoulder with her nose. "Listen here... A leader has to act tough for the rest of the group, so they'll feel safe... While fending off any possible threats." Fang met Vanille's gaze. "Why do you think- What's her name... _Lightning_ snapped at me?" She didn't wait for a response. "It's because we moved right in on her space... Without recognizing her role, of course."

Vanille sat down, and she shuffled her front paws in the snow. "She seemed okay after you calmed down."

Fang nodded. "But we can't just disrupt something like that... If she doesn't want us there, we'll go our own way, alright?" She attempted to stand, wheezing under her breath. "Don't overthink it."

Vanille nodded after a moment, and she turned to face the city that lay before them. "We should head to the station, then..."

Fang nodded as well. "Should be near the tracks." She started off into a brisk walk, before she slowly shifted back into her human form. "Off we go."

Vanille's lip twitched into a grin, human once more as she fell in to match Fang's stride.

* * *

Lightning choked back a cough, leaning back on her heels as her vision spun with a throbbing headache. "If I ever see them again-" She bit down on a snarl, her eyes narrowed. "I have _more_ than a few choice words..." Lightning attempted to stand up, soon bracing her arm against a nearby wall. "When does our next train leave?"

Snow glanced down at the tickets in his hand. "Uh... Ten minutes." He scratched along the back of his head, gazing down at the station. "But it looks pretty empty, doesn't it?"

Serah frowned at the rails below them, which were nearly vacant. "Maybe there's been a delay... We can ask the staff, right?" She didn't wait for a response, instead walking up to tap at the shoulder of a uniformed man. "Excuse me! When does the next train arrive?"

The man took a deep breath. "Yours is the first we've seen in days, ma'am... I'd get comfortable, if I were you."

Lightning's eyes widened. "_No_..." She grit her teeth, stalking over to stand beside Serah. "We can't just wait around for this... Why haven't they been on schedule?!"

The man shook his head. "We've had conductors quitting left and right... Not to mention the general staff." He gestured up at the train. "Why do you think that you were traveling in a boxcar, ma'am?"

Lightning narrowed her eyes, but she turned around without another word. "Snow, Serah, with me." She quickened her pace as she walked down the station platform, a low growl rumbling in her throat. "We'll find a map... Get a car somehow-"

Serah reached out to place a hand on Lightning's shoulder, gently pulling her to a stop. "Light, calm down." She smiled at her sister. "We can afford a few days, can't we?"

Lightning struggled to hold Serah's gaze. "Serah... A little while ago, you were barely _coherent_."

Serah frowned, but she slowly pulled Lightning into a hug. "None of us can drive, sis." She smiled into Lightning's shoulder. "At least... Not well enough to get us to Eden."

Lightning grit her teeth, but she nodded after a moment. "Alright."

"Excuse me..."

Serah pulled back from the hug, gazing up at the grizzled man that stood before them.

Snow smiled a bit. "Amodar, right?"

Amodar smiled as well. "I couldn't help but overhear... If you need a place to rest, our doors are always open." He held out a tiny sheet of fabric, and once Serah had taken it, Amodar walked away with a slight swing in his step.

Lightning leaned over to examine the ribbon, gazing down at the emblem of a wolf, which held the stem of a rose between its teeth, while its proud, furry chest tapered down into an endless knot.

Serah ran her fingers over the green fabric, before she turned it over in her hands. "It's got an address on the back..."

Snow leaned over to look. "A church? Makes sense, given what he said about Mwynn."

Serah glanced up at Snow. "What are you talking about?"

Lightning fought the urge to roll her eyes. "They were just rambling on about creation theories for a while, nothing much..."

Serah giggled. "Sounds interesting."

Lightning glanced around at the milling crowds, and her gaze lingered on a certain form that shifted about the rest, blurring against the sea of human figures. "We have company."

Serah followed Lightning's gaze, before she raised a single eyebrow. "Twice in one day... What are the odds?"

Snow smiled at the pair of wolves that were mingling about the crowd. "Wonder if they're friendly..."

Lightning turned to look up at the city. "We should get moving."

Serah frowned a bit, but she moved to follow after Lightning. "Not even a hello?"

Lightning shook her head. "Serah, we need to focus."

"Okay..." Serah reached back to tug at Snow's sleeve, gently leading him along with them. "Just promise me that you'll rest once we get there."

Lightning nodded. "As long as you do the same."

Serah nodded as well.

"Hey, what about me?" Snow chuckled under his breath. "Should I start running laps, then?"

Serah poked at Snow's stomach. "Might do you some good, fluffy."

Snow scoffed at that, before he flexed his free arm to the side. "All muscle, babe."

Lightning rolled her eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Bits of sleet pattered along the bustling streets, and the city grew dark beneath a heavy layer of clouds. Footprints lay scattered along the damp, snow-covered streets, while boot-patterns intermingled with a handful of unusual, clawed tracks.

Lightning pulled at the collar of her coat, and she attempted to hide a shiver as she shook away a bit of moisture from her hair. "These streets..." She narrowed her eyes at several barricaded shopfronts, most of which lay abandoned and ransacked. "It doesn't look like we'll find very much."

Snow shivered a bit, and he tugged his jacket tighter around himself while he navigating their way through the crowd. "Have any idea where we're going, Light?"

Lightning didn't react at first, but after a moment, she narrowed her eyes with a low sigh. "Do you really expect me to know the area, right away?" She turned to face Snow, staring him down. "How about you scout ahead, then?"

Snow thought the idea over, before he nodded with a smile. "Okay... Just call if you need me." He leaned over to quickly press a kiss against the top of Serah's head, before he bounded off down the street.

Serah smiled with a tiny blush. "How is he _still_ so energetic?" She shook her head, gazing along where Snow had disappeared into the crowd. "If it weren't for the coughing fits..."

Lightning gently pushed through a loitering group of people, and she inhaled, testing the scents around them. "I don't know, and I'm not about to start questioning it." Lightning paused, before she suddenly ducked beside a wall, gesturing for Serah to follow suit. "We're going to need to lay low..."

Serah frowned, and she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Why?"

Lightning narrowed her eyes at the street in front of them, before she slunk down into an alleyway, tugging Serah along with her. "Smell."

Serah tilted her head to the side, but she closed her eyes, and inhaled.

Lightning's human form began to flicker for a moment, and a low growl rumbled in her throat. "An active militia... Makes sense, with the plague."

Serah opened her eyes with a frown. "They wouldn't waste their time on us, would they?"

Lightning took a deep breath, before she stepped back up to the sidewalk. "I don't know, but we need to be on guard, now." She narrowed her eyes at the sight of several patrolling gunmen, but Lightning kept her gaze low, and her pace steady. "Let's get moving."

Serah followed after Lightning with a nod. "Do you think that we should ask for directions?" She looked down at the strip of fabric, and she held it up to gaze at the inscription. "Not that I have doubt in your tracking abilities, but an address alone isn't much to go on..."

Lightning nodded. "I'd like to see if we can find some more medicine, first." She glanced over at Serah. "Those pills aren't going to last us for long."

Serah glanced around at the bustling street, and she stood up on her tiptoes to see over the crowd. "A pharmacy, maybe?" Her brow furrowed in thought for a moment, before she hurried along to keep up with her sister. "How much money do we have left?"

Lightning fought the urge to reach for her pocket. "Not much."

Serah held back a sigh. "Maybe... Maybe we can trade something."

Lightning raised a single eyebrow, and she glanced back over her shoulder. "What do you have in mind?"

Serah's fingers twitched at her sides. "Snow's bandana was handmade, you know... One of a kind." She reached up to touch at her neck, and her fingertips brushed over a metal chain. "I know that the two of you don't really-" Serah paused, searching for the right words. "I just.. I can't justify holding on to this, not when we're in this kind of situation..." She pulled at the chain, revealing a silver locket from beneath her shirt. "It was a gift from him, but it's of no use to _any_ of us if we're dead."

Lightning's eyes fell shut. "That's your decision to make." She paused for a moment, opening her eyes, before she walked over to lean against the wall of a nearby alleyway. "I need to catch my breath."

Serah nodded, and she leaned back as well. "How are you holding up?"

Lightning tried to hold back a bitter laugh. "Just _wonderful_."

Serah nudged at Lightning's side, scowling over at her with a half-smile. "Very funny... How's your stomach?"

Lightning tensed, and her eyes narrowed slightly. "It's..." She glanced down at herself, before she raised a single eyebrow. "Better, actually."

Serah giggled at that. "Looks like they were right!"

Lightning kept silent for a moment. "I suppose so..." She closed her eyes once more, and she slowly eased herself down the wall, settling down into a sitting position. "Wake me if I start to nod off, okay?"

Serah gave her a soft smile. "I will." She sat down as well, leaning over to rest her head against Lightning's shoulder. "We'll make it through all of this, won't we?"

Lightning's breath grew still, before she slid open a single eye to hold Serah's gaze. "I have never lied to you before, Serah."

Serah frowned, and she reached up to grip at Lightning's hand. "And you'd better not start... But I _know_ that we can get through it, sis." She tried to smile. "We've already survived a lot, you know?"

Lightning's eyes fell shut once more. "Get some rest."

Serah sat in silence for a while, before she closed her eyes with a sigh.

* * *

Fang wandered along the sidewalk, gazing around at the shopfronts. "Vanille, you keeping up?"

Vanille peeked out over the crowd, and she nodded with a quiet cough. "Can you see where the train went?"

Fang shook her head. "Nope, although..." She inhaled, and her nostrils flared. "Our 'friends' are close."

Vanille inhaled as well, smiling at the familiar scent. "We should go and see them!"

Fang mulled the idea over for a moment, before she tilted her head to the side. "What did they call this place... Palumpolum?" She leaned back to stare at the buildings above. "If I'm remembering this right... I once heard that there's a bunch of historical sites within the city limits, just laying around."

Vanille scowled, and she stuck out her bottom lip at Fang. "They were talking about a _cure_, and you're seriously suggesting that we go sightseeing?!"

Fang smirked, ruffling Vanille's hair with a quiet chuckle. "Don't believe everything you hear, kiddo." She started off down the sidewalk, gazing around at the street. "If I'm really going to die, I'd rather be enjoying the time that I have left, rather than chasing after wild geese..."

Vanille followed after Fang with a long, low whine. "What if there's a _chance_, though?"

Fang's shoulders sagged, and she kept silent for a moment. "If there's a chance... Alright, alright." She stopped in her tracks, turning to face Vanille. "Humor me, okay? By the scent of it, they're just hanging around for now... So we have a little time to kill." Fang took a gentle hold of Vanille's shoulders, gazing down at her. "Smile for me, yeah?"

Vanille pouted for a moment, before a tiny grin crept over her lips. "Okay."

Fang nodded, and she gently tapped her fingers along Vanille's shoulders. "Live in the moment, kiddo." She released her, before turning to face the street. "Now, let's see if we can sniff out anything interesting..."

* * *

Sazh leaned back on the bench with his brow drawn in thought. "If there aren't any trains coming in, we might have to draw up a second plan."

Hope paced back and forth, glancing around at the crowded station. "How, then? I haven't seen any buses in months... Have you even _seen_ the highways, lately?"

Sazh closed his eyes. "Wasn't pretty, I know." He took a deep breath. "But we're gonna need to start moving, either way." Sazh stood up after a moment to stretch out his arms. "Let's take a look around town; maybe we can find someone with a car."

Hope frowned at the pillars around them, and his gaze lingered on the solitary train, which lay resting in silence upon the rails. "Everything just falls apart, doesn't it?" His head bowed slightly, while his shoulders began to shake. "Think about it; they should be coordinating this... They could be bringing the cure to _us_."

Sazh turned to face the stairwell that led up to the outer terminal. "I don't have an answer for that... And I don't think there even _is_ one, really." He let out a long sigh, fighting back a cough. "Let's move."

Hope nodded after a moment, and he followed after Sazh in silence.

* * *

Snow strode along the sidewalk, resting his hands in his pockets as he glanced about at the city streets. His nose twitched when a somewhat familiar scent reached his nostrils, and Snow paused upon a corner, glancing around at the adjacent sidewalk.

"If we can even _find_ a car... Can you drive?" Snow's gaze settled on a child, who was walking down the sidewalk with his head bowed. "I know _I_ can't."

Walking beside the child, an older man shrugged. "I could probably figure it out, if I have to." When he spotted Snow, the man stopped in his tracks. "Hey, what are the odds?"

Snow looked them over from a distance, before he raised his hand in a wave. "Hello!" He smiled a bit, slowly walking forward to stand in front of them. "It's not everyday that you see others..."

The man smiled at that. "The name's Sazh." He raised his arm, to which Snow accepted a handshake.

Snow nodded. "I'm Snow." He glanced at the child, who looked away from him for a moment, before offering a tentative hand.

"Um... I'm Hope." He refused to meet Snow's gaze. "Nice to meet you..."

Snow attempted to hold back a laugh, and he shook his head with a grin. "Relax, kiddo... I don't bite."

Hope stammered a bit, tugging at the collar of his jacket. "Sorry!" He looked away while stifling a ragged cough.

Snow lowered his shoulders, slowly tilting his head to the side. "You okay, buddy?"

Hope grimaced, but his coughing soon evened out enough for him to speak again. "Do you _really_ have to ask?"

Sazh shook his head with a sigh. "Sure don't... Hey, Snow, you have any idea where to find a car, and _fast?_"

Snow laughed under his breath. "Nah, but if you find one, let me know..." He leaned back, staring up at the pattering sleet, which was already beginning even out into softer flurries. "Here's hoping that the trains start coming in on time."

Sazh glanced back at the sidewalk behind him. "Same here." He looked up to examine Snow, and he raised an eyebrow at the form that lay hidden beneath his human visage. "I'd offer for us to tag along with you, but I'd bet that we'd probably slow you down."

Snow smiled a bit. "We're not exactly going at a breakneck pace... The more the merrier, right?" He paused for a moment. "But you'd have to clear it with Lightning, first; she can be a bit... 'Touchy' with anyone other than her sister."

Sazh nodded. "Well, we'll let you know if we find anything." He clapped Snow's shoulder, before he moved to pass by him with another nod. "Good luck to you."

Snow nodded as well, and he watched as Sazh and Hope began to walk off into the crowd. "Same to you..." Snow waved over at Hope, quietly laughing under his breath.

* * *

Lightning woke with a shiver, and she began to blink away the sleep. "Told you to-" Her lungs cried out in protest, and she couldn't help but release a hacking, ragged cough.

"Light?"

After a moment, Lightning glanced over to see Serah, slowly lowering her head with a wince. "I'm fine." A hand rested upon her shoulder, and she let out a soft sigh.

"That doesn't sound 'fine'... We need to get out of the cold." Serah began to stand, and she offered her hand to Lightning. "C'mon, we can ask for directions along the way."

Lightning's voice was low, and her breath choppy. "Alright." She stood with a sigh, quickly following after Serah. "Do you really think that we'll be able find it before dark?"

Serah glanced up at the sky with a tiny frown. "I sure hope so." Stepping out into the sidewalk, she glanced back and forth at the streets. "But it seems like a church wouldn't be that hard to find, would it?"

Lightning laughed under her breath. "It's a pagan order, Serah." She inhaled, wincing at the cold air that rushed into her lungs. "It's probably just a shack sitting out in the woods, for all we know..."

Serah frowned, and she pulled out the strip of fabric from her pocket, squinting to examine the detail. "It's gonna one heck of a shack, if this is any indication-" She stopped in her tracks, and her nostrils flared. "Snow!"

Snow jumped to peek out from above the crowd, and he waved over at them. "Serah, hey!" He ran up to them, quickly wrapping Serah in a gentle hug. "I might have just made us some new friends!"

Serah giggled as she hugged him back. "That's good!" She leaned back to smile at him. "We're still looking for the church, but we managed to take a nap while you were gone."

Snow nodded while he moved back from the embrace. "Okay, lemme see the address?" He glanced down at the cloth. "I might have just passed by there, actually..."

Lightning raised a single eyebrow. "What did it look like?"

Snow shrugged. "Like a church, nothing special."

After a moment of contemplation, Lightning nodded. "Let's see it, then."

Snow grinned, and he began to lead the way.

* * *

Fang strode along the sidewalk, gazing up at the surrounding buildings. "See anything?"

Vanille nodded as she pointed over at a roadside stall. "Hey, looks like it's not as bad as we thought!" She smiled at the scent of food. "Things are still working..."

Fang followed her gaze, and a smile crept up along her lips as well. "How about a bit of 'bargaining'?"

Vanille rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Fang... Don't be a cheapskate!" She held out her hand. "Give it here."

Fang grumbled a bit while she reached for her pockets. "Little extortionist, eh?" She clapped at her jeans, before she began to rummage through the inside of her jacket. "Heck, I might not even have enough for just _one_ of us..."

Vanille frowned. "Well... We _could_ try heading back out to the plains."

Fang's hand paused within her coat pocket. "Nah, just wait a-" She soon pulled out a pair of crumpled bills. "There we are... Try to get enough for us both, alright?"

Vanille accepted the money with a grin. "We can always split, you know!" She waved at Fang, before disappearing into the crowd.

Fang chuckled under her breath, and she turned to face the weathered building that towered above the sidewalk. "Sure, kiddo..." She trailed off as her gaze lingered upon a signpost, and she began to trace along the intricate design of a large, running wolf.


End file.
